Digitally 2026:CGHC:2705-DB SAIFAN signed by KHAN SAIFAN AFR KHAN HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR [Arising out of a common impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 28.11.2015, passed in Session Trial No.24 of 2014 (State of Chhattisgarh v. Baital Sahu and others) by the Addl.

Sessions Judge, Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon (CG)]

Criminal Appeal No. 1525 of 2015

1 - Krishna Yadav @ Chhotu, S/o Shyamlal Yadav, aged about 24 years, R/o Village Dharampura, Police Station Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon, (Chhattisgarh)

2 - Vinod Yadav, S/o Toran Yadav, aged about 22 years, R/o Village Dharampura, Police Station Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon, (Chhattisgarh)

--- Appellants (On Bail)

Versus State of Chhattisgarh, through Police Station Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon, (Chhattisgarh)

--- Respondent -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Appellants : Mr. H.S. Ahluwalia, Advocate For Respondent-State : Mr. Sharad Mishra, Panel Lawyer -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WITH Criminal Appeal No. 1598 of 2015 Baital Sahu, S/o Maniram Sahu, aged about 22 years, R/o Village Singarghat, Police Station Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon, (Chhattisgarh)

---Appellant (On Bail)

Versus State of Chhattisgarh, through Station House Officer, Police Station Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh)

--- Respondent -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Appellant : Mr. Siddharth Pandey, Advocate For Respondent-State : Mr. Sharad Mishra, Panel Lawyer -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WITH Criminal Appeal No. 1630 of 2015 Manish Singh Rajput, S/o Shri Kulendra Rajput, aged about 35 years, R/o Village Bhorampur Khurd, Police Station Khairagarh, District - Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh)

---Appellant (On Bail)

Versus State of Chhattisgarh, through District Magistrate, Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) --- Respondent [Cause-title taken from Case Information System (CIS)]

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For Appellant : Mr. Maneesh Sharma, Advocate For Respondent-State : Mr. Sharad Mishra, Panel Lawyer -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Division Bench Hon'ble Shri Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal and Hon'ble Shri Justice Arvind Kumar Verma Judgment on Board (16.01.2026)

Sanjay K. Agrawal, J (1) Regard being had to the similitude of the questions of fact and law involved and being arising out of a common impugned judgment dated 28.11.2015, all these criminal appeals are clubbed together, heard together and being disposed of by this common order.

(2) Invoking criminal appellate jurisdiction of this Court, total 04 accused/appellants, namely, Baital Sahu (A-1), Krishna Yadav @

Chhotu (A-2), Vinod Yadav (A-3) and Manish Singh Rajput (A-4), have preferred these 03 appeals being CRA-1598-2015, CRA-1525- 2015 & CRA-1630-2015 respectively, under Section 374(2) of Cr.P.C., calling in question the legality, validity and correctness of common impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 28.11.2015, passed in Session Trial No.24 of 2014 (State of Chhattisgarh v. Baital Sahu and others) by the Addl. Sessions Judge, Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon (CG), whereby they have been convicted for offence under Section 302/34 of IPC and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life with fine of Rs.1,000/- and, in default of payment of fine, sentenced to undergo additional rigorous imprisonment for 01 month.

(3) The case of the prosecution, in short, is that on 29.06.2014, in the night at about 12-12:30 PM, at Pendrikala, Near Banjari Mandir, which comes within the ambit of Police Station Khairagarh, District Rajnandgaon (CG), the accused-appellants herein, in furtherance of their common intention, assaulted Praka